Private Sector to Lead R&D
The Presidential Transition Committee said on May 5 that it is formulating a battery industry roadmap so that more R&D can be led by the private sector, the government can focus on manpower training and basic research, and South Korean EV battery manufacturers can keep leading the global market.
“With the manufacturers already leading the market, government-led projects cannot be more effective than R&D led by the companies themselves,” the committee said, adding, “This is one of the president-elect’s campaign pledges, the new government’s role in the industry will be limited to manpower and basic research and, when it comes to the key part of raw material procurement, the government will provide more tax-related support with the companies playing a leading role.”
At present, LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK On are developing and commercializing various types of advanced batteries. For example, LG Energy Solution is working on lithium-sulfur batteries, all-solid-state batteries, and so on and Samsung SDI is developing cobalt-free nickel-manganese batteries.
The current government’s roadmap is characterized by R&D led by both the private and public sectors. According to the roadmap, all-solid-state batteries are to be commercialized by 2027 and the target year is 2025 for lithium-sulfur and 2028 for lithium-metal.